HP's dv6t and dv7t notebooks now come with Intel's Core i3 and i5 processors

HP's online store now allows customers to customise the notebooks with more powerful processors and GPUs

dv6t

dv7t

HP has improved the range of customisable options for two of its notebooks, the 15.6” dv6t and the 17.3” dv7t. HP's online store now enables users to fit both notebooks with Intel's Core i3 and i5 processors. HP sells the dv6t and dv7t for $729.99 and $799.99 respectively.

The older version of the dv6t, which was an Intel Core 2 Duo based notebook, did not perform very well in a review written last summer. However, since then HP has made improvements to the machine's core specifications, and coupled with a wealth of upgradeable features, the dv6t is almost an entirely new machine with excellent performance capabilities.

The dv6t's standard specification includes a 2.13GHz Intel Core i3-330M, which should offer an improvement over an Intel Core 2 Duo P7450. We have more information about the i3-330M posted in our CPU guide, here. For an extra $75, customers can upgrade the processor to a 2.26GHz Intel Core i3-350M, which should offer better performance than an Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 processor. You can read more about the i3-350M in our CPU guide, here.

The dv6t can also be fitted with a 2.26GHz Intel Core i5-430M for an extra $100 or a 2.40GHz Intel Core i5-520M for an extra $200. Our recent review of a Dell Studio 1558 notebook revealed the excellent performance capabilities of the i5-520M. For more information about the i5-520M, please have a look at our dedicated page here.

Both the i3 and i5 feature Intel's GMA HD (500/667MHz) GPU, which is an improvement over the older Intel GMA 4500MHD GPU. Customers seeking more graphical power in their dv6t can opt to fit it with a 512MB NVIDIA GeForce G 105M for an extra $100, or a 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 320M for an extra $200. To find out how well these GPUs perform, please have a look at our detailed GPU benchmark list.

The dv7t's overall performance impressed several reviewers last year, and the machine can now be fitted with the same range of i3 and i5 processors as the dv6t, which should further increase its appeal to reviewers and consumers alike. The standard specification includes a 2.13GHz Intel Core i3-330M and a 512MB NVIDIA GeForce G 105M GPU, for $70 more than the dv6t. The dv7t also offers customers an 8 cell battery and a 802.11n WLAN adapter, compared to the dv6t's 6 cell battery and 802.11g WLAN adapter.

Here are the specifications for the two notebooks:-